Who’s Worse: Russia’s Putin Or America’s Obama? – OpEd

As noted by the Electronic Intifada, the US State Department absolved Israel of responsibility for the murder of four Palestinian children in Gaza on Wednesday, placing the blame squarely on Hamas.

The four children were killed and three others badly wounded by Israeli fire as they played on a beach in Gaza on Wednesday afternoon. Dozens of international journalists stationed at the nearby Al-Deira Hotel watched in horror as after an initial strike, Israeli fire chased after the terrified children as they ran for their lives screaming for help, firing at them a second time.

Some 75 children have been killed and hundreds more injured during Israel’s relentless bombing of the besieged Gaza Strip. But this latest slaughter happened in the presence of journalists from major media outlets accross the globe, garnering more attention for the killings than they would have otherwise received.

During Wednesday’s US State Department press briefing, a reporter asked, “How is an Israeli airstrike on what can only be described as a civilian target in full view of international journalists be [sic] acceptable to the US government?”

State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki replied that the loss of life in Gaza is “absolutely tragic,” but she blamed Hamas for the deaths, specifically citing Hamas’ rejection of a unilateral ceasefire proposal by Egypt and Israel, which Hamas was never consulted on.

“I would remind you that yesterday there was a ceasefire proposed that was abided to by the Israelis for a couple of hours that Hamas did not abide to,” said Psaki, adding, “they’re putting their own people at risk by continuing to escalate the situation on the ground.”

Reporters continued to raise questions about the rising civilian death toll caused by Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, and each time Psaki blamed Palestinian rocket fire on Israel, saying, “Hamas is putting their own people in Gaza at risk by continuing their actions.”

The lengthy back-and-forth is distilled in the following exchange:

QUESTION: So the people who have been killed, including these children – it’s – frankly, it doesn’t seem to – it doesn’t faze you?

MS. PSAKI: That’s not at all what I said. I think I’ve stated multiple times that the deaths of civilians, the loss of lives for children and individuals in Gaza is horrific and is a tragedy. And that’s why we’re so focused on bringing an end to the violence, and I think that’s far more important than a speculation about —

QUESTION: Right, but it’s – but it’s horrific and it’s a tragedy, but you’re saying that it’s the fault of Hamas for not stopping the rocket fire.

MS. PSAKI: They certainly are at fault in part here, yes.

Earlier in the briefing, Associated Press reporter Matt Lee inquired about a newly-released Human Rights Watch report condemning Israel for unlawfully targeting civilians in Gaza. The report also calls for an end to Palestinian rocket fire into Israel.

Asked if the State Department agrees with the report’s demand that Israel stop bombing civilians in Gaza, Psaki responded that the administration does not believe Israel is violating international law. As for Human Rights Watch’s call for an end to Palestinian rocket fire, Psaki responded, “Certainly, we would agree.”

Psaki went on to reaffirm US support for Israel’s “right to self-defense,” a privilege the US refuses to grant Palestinians as Israel occupies, colonizes and kills them en masse.

In another such exchange, Jen Psaki said: “No country can accept rocket fire aimed at civilians, and we certainly support Israel’s right to defend itself against these attacks.”

QUESTION: But you feel that sort of the Israeli air raids, like maybe hundreds of them so far this day, are proportionate to the rockets?

MS. PSAKI: That’s not – I wouldn’t validate the accuracy of that number, but I would say, Said –

QUESTION: Okay. Well, the sorties – there are hundreds of sorties.

MS. PSAKI: I would say, Said, that I don’t think any country would be expected to allow rockets to come in and threaten the lives and health and well-being of the citizens in their country, and Israel has the right to defend themselves.

QUESTION: Okay. Do you believe that the Palestinians in Gaza have the right to defend themselves?

MS. PSAKI: I think – I’m not sure what you’re getting at, Said.

QUESTION: I am asking you: Do they have the right to defend themselves against Israeli aggression?

MS. PSAKI: What are you specifically referring to? Is there a specific event or a specific occurrence?

What a despicable performance by Jen Psaki to support unsupportable crimes against humanity! She sounds like a supporter of child killers. Simply repulsive, criminal!

The Obama administration is genuinely furious, and rightly so, about the Russian missile fired from the rebel territories inside Ukraine that brought down the Malaysian airlines, killing all the 298 individuals on board, including some 80 children.

Is Obama’s crime less criminal than those of Putin?

As of Friday (July 18, 2014), Obama administration’s moral and material support of the pariah state of Israel has resulted in the death of some 300 unarmed civilians – almost the same number of the victims of the airplane – which included some 75 children – almost the same number as the ill-fated children in the plane. I fail to see anything good in either of these two heads of the states.

Through their support of criminal murderous regimes and groups, they have proven that none of them has the moral high ground!

What a world we are living in! Shame on Psaki, shame on Obama, shame on Putin! Birds of a feather flock together.

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Dr. Habib Siddiqui

Dr. Habib Siddiqui has a long history as a peaceful activist in an effort towards improving human rights and creating a just and equitable world. He has written extensively in the arena of humanity, global politics, social conscience and human rights since 1980, many of which have appeared in newspapers, magazines, journals and the Internet.
He has tirelessly championed the cause of the disadvantaged, the poor and the forgotten here in Americas and abroad. Commenting on his articles, others have said, "His meticulously researched essays and articles combined with real human dimensions on the plight of the displaced peoples of Rohingya in Myanmar, Chechnya, Bosnia, Kosovo and Palestine, and American Muslims in the post-9/11 era have made him a singular important intellectual offering a sane voice with counterpoints to the shrill threats of the oppressors and the powerful. He offers a fresh and insightful perspective on a whole generation of a misunderstood and displaced people with little or no voice of their own."
He has authored 11 books, five of which are now available through Amazon.com. His latest book - Devotional Stories is published by A.S. Noordeen, Malaysia.